Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday highlighted the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) strong performance in recent civic body elections while inaugurating the ₹6,957-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project, underscoring what he described as growing public support for the party across states.
Referring to Maharashtra’s municipal polls, the Prime Minister said the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) with 89 seats. In contrast, the Congress slipped to 24 seats, finishing fourth in Mumbai, a city long considered its traditional stronghold. Modi also pointed to the BJP’s wider municipal success, noting victories in 1,425 seats across 29 municipal corporations, a clean sweep in the Bihar Assembly elections, and the party’s first-ever mayoral post in Kerala.
The remarks came during the launch of the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project in Assam, a key infrastructure initiative aimed at improving connectivity while preserving ecological balance. The project includes a 35-kilometre elevated corridor and the upgradation of an 88-kilometre stretch of national highway passing through the Kaziranga landscape.
According to officials, the elevated corridor has been designed to facilitate uninterrupted movement of wildlife across animal corridors, reducing roadkill incidents and protecting the fragile ecosystem of Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the same time, the project is expected to ease traffic congestion and improve regional connectivity in Upper Assam.
Emphasising the need for development that respects nature and heritage, Modi said the Kaziranga project reflects the government’s approach of combining modern infrastructure with environmental conservation. “Development and conservation are not contradictory goals. With the right intent and planning, both can move forward together,” he said.
The project is seen as a significant step in strengthening Assam’s transport infrastructure while safeguarding one of India’s most iconic wildlife reserves, aligning with the Centre’s broader vision of sustainable and inclusive growth.
-OdishaAge
